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It was one of those February Sunday nights, when after watching a late afternoon Cleveland Pre-season baseball game, there wasn't much on television, and the evening schedule didn't look too appealing either, so I decided on a PBS fundraising showing of a John Denver concert from the Colorado Red Rocks Amphitheater back in 1974.
I enjoy very much John Denver's soothing music, his often nature themed songs, his story telling musical ditties, so I figured it would be enjoyable, even with the interruptions by the understandably necessary PBS solicitations for contributions. I was right, it was very entertaining.
In this concert, Denver sang many of his most remembered tunes, and some that weren't aired as much as others, but were wonderful nonetheless. Two of them stood out and tickled my thought bank as how some of their lyrics applied to my life.
Before divulging the songs (both available on YouTube), lyrics, and connections to my life, please know, I've had an amazing life. I grew up in a wonderful family, a loving home with all that we needed, and a lot of extras too. That doesn't mean we got everything we wanted, but what we weren't given, made us appreciate what we did have even more. (Unfortunately growing up, I, at times, sometimes took that for granted and complained about things more than I should have.)
We were taught by the best teachers there could be, our parents. We were given great educations at St. James, JHS, and were given the opportunity to further those educations in college for which our parents co-signed the financing that we paid ourselves, making us appreciate that education to its fullest, because we were paying for it, and owned it. (After some time, we all realized that was the hope and plan of our parents, so we'd value the preciousness of that education.)
Above and beyond that special home life we were lucky to experience, we were given opportunities to plan our own futures and take ownership of what would mark the rest of our lives from our twenties and beyond. In my mid-twenties, I made a special request to someone special, who would forever change my life, and the purpose for that life. It was a request that allowed me to go full speed ahead, and I've never looked back since that request was answered.
The first John Denver song that made me think as I listened to that recently televised concert, was titled, Follow Me. The first set of lyrics of that song are:
"It's by far the hardest thing I've ever done,
To be so in love with you and so alone.
Follow me where I go, what I do, who I know
Make it part of you to be a part of me.
Follow me up and down,
All the way and all around,
Take my hand and say you'll follow me.
It's long been on my mind,
You know it's been a long, long time,
I've tried to find the way that I can make you understand
The way I feel about you,
And just how much I need you
To be there where I can talk to you
When there's no one else around."
Nine years after the release of that song, I met a woman, who made me wonder if "Love at First Sight", really was, in fact, a real thing. Five months after meeting her, not realizing I was saying the same thing as Denver's lyrics, I asked her to follow me. Next March, we will be celebrating the 45th anniversary of that meeting, and subsequent five month later request, as we celebrate the 44th anniversary of the event where she committedly answered "yes" to that request. Adding those 45 years next year, to the amazing first 26 years of my life, brings up the second song that scratched my memory bank, while listening to Denver's near 50 year ago concert. That song was titled, Today.
The lyrics of the chorus of that song are:
"Today, while the blossoms still cling to the vine
I'll taste your strawberries, I'll drink your sweet wine
A million tomorrows shall all pass away
'Ere I forget all the joy that is mine, Today"
I repeat what I stated earlier in this narrative, that I've had an amazing life. I've been blessed with wonderful family, friends, colleagues, fellow volunteers, coaches, and umpires, church friends, people met at concerts, ballgames, or other gatherings, and even strangers with whom I've shared an uber, a plane, a church sponsored dinner table, or any other place or situation. I've been given many opportunities to assume many different, challenging, and exciting roles in my life, and I have been blessed with many people who have taken care of me health wise, spiritually, and educationally, all for whom I'll be eternally grateful.
Headlining that tremendous throng of people in my life, though, is that aforementioned special woman, the amazing mother of my children, who replied to my request to Follow Me, and who will forever keep me reminded of "all the joy that is mine, today," no matter how many more tomorrows in my life that will pass by.
Thanks for saying, "yes," Sally! Happy Mother's Day, Tomorrow!! (To you too, Chasy and Chrissy!)